France 1914, vs. Entente PO

[gwgardner]

The 1914 Western Front is the topic of three scenarios in my WWI folder. All of them have POs for both sides. They differ in scale. The screenshot gives some detail on that. I want to play all three scenarios, but will start with 'France 1914' playing the Germans.

[gwgardner]

Here's the parameters of play:

[gwgardner]

This map from the Guns of August scenario documentation shows the historical general war plans for both sides.

I'll try to follow the German plans. There is no scenario documentation concerning the Entente PO for France 1914, but glancing at the objective tracks for the PO, it looks like there will be some attempt on the part of the AI to carry out France's Plan 17 attacks into Alsace and Lorraine.

[gwgardner]

Objective locations, with the exception of Cologne, Strasbourg and Metz, are all in Entente hands at start. The major rail amd road junctions, river crossings, North Sea ports, the Belgian fortifications. And of course Paris.

[gwgardner]

Initial setup: looks quite historically accurate, from the maps I've seen. The seven German Armies at start are color coded, Army and Corps HQs are on map. Each Army has a supply unit. It's my first time to play scenario with a supply unit, hope I use them properly.

[gwgardner]

Each German corps typically has 2 infantry divisions, one cavalry division and one corps field artillery division. I guess that makeup is a design generalization, but I'm no expert on WW1 German army corps makeup.

Some corps have heavy artillery, as shown with the 2nd Army.

[gwgardner]

After turn 1, 1 week into the war.

The Belgian forts at Liege have been captured, and 2nd Army has advanced 15 km beyond that. 1st Army is holding, ready to drive forward once the remaining Belgian border guards are pushed aside.

Farther south the French performed multiple bombardments, but did not advance to the attack, per Plan 17. Yet.

[SpicyJuan]

What happened to this AAR?

[gwgardner]

I put it aside until I finished my big game with Cfant. I'll resume it now.

[SpicyJuan]

ORIGINAL: gwgardner

I put it aside until I finished my big game with Cfant. I'll resume it now.

Ok great! By the way how do you capture Liege so fast? It takes me at least 2-3 turns

[gwgardner]

[Resuming the AAR, after concentrating for a couple of months on Aggressors: Ancient Rome playtesting (fabulous game!!) and the monster WW1 scenario, which I lost ingloriusly.]

August 21
[correction to the screenshot: the 2nd Army pivot will be to the southwest, not southeast!]

[gwgardner]

Can someone explain why the forum always resizes my screenshots, to the point that they look blurred? How do I avoid that?

[Lobster]

ORIGINAL: gwgardner

Can someone explain why the forum always resizes my screenshots, to the point that they look blurred? How do I avoid that?

They look fine to me.

[Cfant]

You can also use an extern picture host, like https://picr.de/

[gwgardner]

Sept 5, Turn 5

The advance is far behind the historical positions on Sept 5. Whether I am being too cautious, or mismanaging how many rounds I can get each turn, only now is the way open for 1st and 2nd Armies to begin their movement to flank the Entente forces.

[gwgardner]

Turn 6
Sept 11

Advances all along the line from Switzerland to norther Belgium, but no complete breakthrough leading to the hoped-for flanking of the Entente line. The French 5th Army and the BEF successfully forestalled the big sweep.

Has that weakened their line farther south, however, and made it possible for a breakthrough in Alsace or Lorraine?

[gwgardner]

Trying to analyze why my advance stalled so quickly, I'm wondering if it's my play style:

1) I have a tendency to attack only when I have 'very good' or 'excellent' chances, according to the battle planner. That causes me to concentrate attacking units on a narrow front, leading to over-stacking.

2) I've never achieved more than two rounds of combat per turn, whereas the Entente AI regularly gets 4 or five. Meaning I'm maneuvering too much prior to attacks?

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: gwgardner
2) I've never achieved more than two rounds of combat per turn, whereas the Entente AI regularly gets 4 or five. Meaning I'm maneuvering too much prior to attacks?

Um......may I suggest you use the combat planner for pending battles to see how long they are going to last BEFORE you execute the combats. That way you can find and fix those battles that are going long, or even postpone them until a later combat round. I usually take up to 20% of the turn in the first round and about 40% in the second time at bat and somewhere around 65% -> 70% of the turn gone for the last round. I'm excluding all those times you're going to fail a force proficiency check for some reason.

Try that and let us know how it goes.

[gwgardner]

I'll try that. Like the upcoming battles listed here. Hmm, never used this technique, but I'm sure I've read about it in one of your previous posts or tutorials.

[gwgardner]

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